Container construction

Abstract

The invention is a bottle or container for a beverage, which is configured with an upper and lower compartment connected by a waist portion that defines a passage therebetween. Through the use of an appropriately configured freezing shelf, the beverage held in the lower compartment can be frozen at point of sale. The bottle is specifically configured to, upon activation, create a pinch point between the waist portion of the bottle and the punt of the lower compartment. This pinch point is achieved through controlled deformation of part of the lower compartment and/or waist portion of the bottle and effectively seals the lower compartment, and its contents, from the upper compartment, or at the very least significantly restricts the passage between the two compartments. Convection circulation between the two compartments is prevented or at least hindered. The isolation of the lower compartment from the upper compartment by virtue of the pinch point may leads to quicker crystallization and ice formation. The invention is advantageous it means that the beverage contained in the upper compartment can be held at a higher temperature and thus is easier to consume at the time of purchase and allowing some time for the beverage in the lower compartment to melt and in due course become consumable.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A bottle, wherein the bottle includes:
 an upper compartment; 
 a lower compartment including a base, wherein the base includes a raised punt; and 
 a waist portion defining a passage between the upper and lower compartments; and 
 wherein 
 the waist portion and/or lower compartment is configured to be temporarily deformed upon application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion thereby constricting the passage between the upper and lower compartment. 
 
     
     
       2. The bottle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottle has an “as moulded” configuration, before the passage between the upper and lower compartments is constricted, and an “activated” configuration, when the passage between the upper and lower compartments has been constricted. 
     
     
       3. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the bottle includes at least one displacement panel. 
     
     
       4. The bottle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein when the bottle is in an “as moulded” configuration, the displacement panel is relatively concave, and wherein when the bottle is in an “activated” configuration, the displacement panel is relatively convex. 
     
     
       5. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein at least part of the waist portion has a diameter that is reduced relative to diameters of the upper and lower compartments when the bottle is in an “as moulded” state. 
     
     
       6. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein in the “activated” configuration, a pinch point between the punt and the waist portion has been created, thereby sealing or significantly restricting the passage between the upper and lower compartment. 
     
     
       7. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the raised punt arises from the base of the lower compartment. 
     
     
       8. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the waist portion is configured to temporarily deform as the bottle transitions from its “as moulded” configuration to its “activated” configuration to bring a surface of the punt into contact with the waist portion of the bottle to constrict the passage between the lower and upper compartments. 
     
     
       9. The bottle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the waist portion includes at least one generally horizontal line of weakness circumscribing the waist portion and configured to act as a living hinge. 
     
     
       10. The bottle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a portion of the lower compartment includes at least one generally horizontal line of weakness circumscribing the lower compartment and configured to act as a living hinge. 
     
     
       11. The bottle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the waist portion includes at least one line of weakness provided as a continuous spiral circumscribing the waist portion. 
     
     
       12. The bottle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the waist portion includes a plurality of diagonally arranged lines of weakness. 
     
     
       13. The bottle as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the bottle includes reinforcing structures, which with the plurality of diagonally arranged lines of weakness define a plurality of panels circumscribing the circumference of at least a portion of the waist portion. 
     
     
       14. The bottle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the lower compartment is configured to temporarily deform as the bottle transitions from its “as moulded” configuration to its “activated” configuration to bring a surface of the punt into contact with the waist portion of the bottle to constrict the passage between the lower and upper compartments. 
     
     
       15. The bottle as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the punt is a truncated cone arising from the base, wherein the truncated cone has walls and a top surface, and wherein the top surface is substantially flat. 
     
     
       16. The bottle as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the top surface of the punt has a diameter approximating the width of the waist portion of the bottle at its narrowest point. 
     
     
       17. The bottle as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the punt includes at least one line of weakness configured to act as a living hinge, wherein the line of weakness is where the walls of the punt meet the base of the lower compartment. 
     
     
       18. The bottle as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the punt includes at least one line of weakness configured to act as a living hinge, wherein the line of weakness is partway up the walls of the punt. 
     
     
       19. The bottle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper compartment includes a mouth for introduction of a beverage. 
     
     
       20. The bottle as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the upper compartment is configured with a progressive inward taper towards the mouth. 
     
     
       21. The bottle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one displacement panel includes a perimeter formed by detail lines. 
     
     
       22. The bottle as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the detail lines are configured as hinges for the at least one displacement panel. 
     
     
       23. The bottle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the upper compartment. 
     
     
       24. The bottle as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the upper compartment includes two or more displacement panels spaced equidistance about the circumference of the bottle. 
     
     
       25. The bottle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the lower compartment. 
     
     
       26. The bottle as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the punt of the lower compartment. 
     
     
       27. The bottle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to a closure for the bottle. 
     
     
       28. The bottle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottle is moulded from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
       29. The bottle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottle is formed from aluminium. 
     
     
       30. A method, comprising:
 obtaining a bottle, wherein the bottle includes:
 an upper compartment; 
 a lower compartment, wherein the lower compartment includes a base, wherein the base includes a raised punt; and 
 a waist portion defining a passage between the upper and lower compartments, wherein 
 the lower compartment and/or waist portion is configured to be temporarily deformed upon application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion thereby constricting the passage between the lower and upper compartment, wherein 
 
 the method further includes placing the bottle in a chiller, wherein the chiller includes a freezing shelf with a surface at least partially complementary to a surface of the lower compartment of the bottle, and wherein the lower compartment is deformed through the application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion prior to or during the placement of the bottle in the chiller.